Flag of Saskatchewan
Regions of Saskatchewan map used on Wikivoyage.

The regional designations vary widely within the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. With a total land area of 651,036 square kilometres (251,366 sq mi), Saskatchewan is crossed by major rivers such as the Churchill and Saskatchewan and exists mostly within the Hudsons Bay drainage area. Its borders were set at its entry into Confederation in 1905, and Saskatchewan is one of only two landlocked provinces (the other is Alberta) and the only province whose borders are not based on natural features.

As the fifth largest province by area (and sixth largest by population), Saskatchewan has been divided up into unofficial and official regions in many ways. As well, it is part of larger national regions.

Unofficial regions

Parts of Saskatchewan have been given formal and informal names, including

Cardinal regions

The province is regularly divided into three regions of Northern, Central, and Southern Saskatchewan, the latter two of which include the subregions of East-Central, Southeast, Southwestern, and West-Central Saskatchewan.[5][6][7] Along with these regions, the terms Northwestern and Northeastern Saskatchewan may be used to refer to the furthest north reaches of Central Saskatchewan; or, less often, they may be used to divide Northern Saskatchewan into two.

Provincial designations

Former health regions

Until 2017, the province was divided into 13 health regions.[8] As of December 4, 2017, it is considered defunct, as all health regions in Saskatchewan have been replaced by the Saskatchewan Health Authority.[9]

Library districts

Saskatchewan’s public library system includes three municipal library systems, seven regional library systems, one northern library federation, and a provincial library.[10]

  • Chinook Regional Library, serving the southwestern part of the province, including Swift Current.
  • City of Prince Albert Public Library Board, serving the city of Prince Albert.
  • Lakeland Regional Library, serving the Battlefords and surrounding areas.
  • Pahkisimon Nuye?áh System, serving Northern Saskatchewan.
  • Palliser Regional Library, serving Moose Jaw and surrounding areas.
  • Parkland Regional Library, serving the east-central part of the province, including Yorkton.
  • Regina Public Library, serving the city of Regina.
  • Saskatoon Public Library, serving the city of Saskatoon.
  • Southeast Regional Library, serving the southeast part of the province, including Estevan and Weyburn.
  • Wapiti Regional Library, serving Melfort, Nipawin, and surrounding areas.
  • Wheatland Regional Library, serving the west-central part of the province, including Kindersley and areas around Saskatoon.

Rural municipality divisions

The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities has divided the provinces rural municipalities into six regions, each of which is represented by a member on its board of directors.[11] Note that the northern half of the province is not part of any rural municipalities; instead, much of it is unorganized, thus being part of the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District.[7]

Sport, Culture, and Recreation districts

The province is divided into nine districts for sport, culture, and recreation purposes, each of which are headed by a volunteer, non-profit organization.[12] Two of the districts (Regina and Saskatoon) represent the provinces main urban centres, while the other seven districts represent a mix of urban and rural areas. These districts are used, for example, as the teams for the Saskatchewan Games.[13]

Tourism regions

Tourism Saskatchewan designates five regions in the province for travel promotion.[5][6]

Wildlife federation regions

The Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation divides its branches and work across the province into six regions.[14]

Federal designations

Census divisions

Statistics Canada has divided Saskatchewan into 18 census divisions for statistical purposes; although, they do not reflect the organization of local government nor any common regions in the province.[15]

Economic regions

Statistics Canada has divided Saskatchewan into X economic regions, meant to reflect the province’s hubs of economic activity and their surrounding areas.[16]

Federal electoral districts

Saskatchewan is divided into 14 federal electoral districts and thus is represented by 14 of the 338 members of Canada's House of Commons. Following the 2012 Canadian federal electoral redistribution, Saskatchewan had five urban districts, one hybrid district, and eight mostly-rural districts.[17] The upcoming 2022 Canadian federal electoral redistribution is set to make changes to the current layout.[18]

Numbered treaties

The entirety of Saskatchewan is covered by the territory of Numbered Treaties.[19]

Climate and geographical designations

Drainage basins

Most water in Saskatchewan drains to Hudson Bay through the Churchill and Nelson river basins,[20] although some drains to the Arctic Ocean in the far north and the Gulf of Mexico in the far southwest.[21]

Ecozones and ecoprovinces

Saskatchewan is home to four of Canada’s 15 ecozones, as defined by the 2017 Ecological Land Classification.[22] These ecozones are further divided into numerous ecoprovinces, ecoregions, and ecodistricts.[22]

Koppen climate regions

Being in the centre of North America, Saskatchewan is far removed from the moderating effects of any large body of water and therefore has a temperate continental climate, Köppen climate classification types BSk, Dfb and Dfc.[23]

See also

References

  1. Bachusky, Johnnie (2011). Lesley Reynolds (ed.). Ghost Town Stories of the Red Coat Trail: From Renegade to Ruin on the Canadian Prairies. Heritage House. ISBN 978-1-926936-20-8. OCLC 798827407.
  2. Rees, Tony (2007). Arc of the Medicine Line-Mapping the World's Longest Undefended Border Across the Western Plains. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-8032-1791-1.
  3. Barry, Bill (2001). Ukrainian people places: The Ukrainians, Germans, Mennonites, Hutterites and Doukhobors and the names they brought to Saskatchewan.
  4. A Brief History - White Butte Regional Planning Committee, retrieved 6 July 2021
  5. 1 2 "Tourism Saskatchewan". www.tourismsaskatchewan.com. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  6. 1 2 Tourism Saskatchewan (2022). 2022 Saskatchewan Travel Guide.
  7. 1 2 "Northern Saskatchewan Administration District". Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  8. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (21 December 2017). "Map 10 Saskatchewan Health Regions, 2017". www150.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  9. "Patients won't yet see changes with single Sask. health authority, CEO says". CBC News. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  10. "Library System in Saskatchewan | Saskatchewan Education and Learning". Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  11. "Board of Directors". Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  12. "Sport, Culture and Recreation Districts". Sask Sport. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  13. "District Teams « Saskatchewan Games Council". saskgames.ca. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  14. "Map of Regions". Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  15. Statistics Canada. "Illustrated Glossary: Census Geography". Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2006.
  16. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (23 July 2018). "Alternative format" (PDF). www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  17. "Redistribution of Federal Electoral Districts". Elections Canada.
  18. Canada, Elections (13 August 2021). "Redistribution of Federal Electoral Districts 2022". www.elections.ca. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  19. "Canada in the Making: Treaty Overview". Canadiana. Archived from the original on 7 April 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  20. Benke, Arthur C.; Cushing, Colbert E. (2005). Rivers of North America: The Natural History. Academic Press. pp. 853–903. ISBN 0-12-088253-1. Retrieved 6 January 2009.
  21. Benke, Arthur C.; Cushing, Colbert E. (2005). Rivers of North America: The Natural History. Academic Press. pp. 853–903. ISBN 0-12-088253-1. Retrieved 6 January 2009.
  22. 1 2 Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (10 January 2018). "Introduction to the Ecological Land Classification (ELC) 2017". www.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  23. Cote, Mark. "Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan: Climate". Archived from the original on 1 September 2010. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
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